Senator Jamaal T. Bailey’s Human Trafficking Awareness Assembly

(BRONX, NY) Senator Jamaal T. Bailey hosted a human trafficking awareness assembly this morning at the Leaders of Tomorrow School. The assembly featured a presentation by the FBI, SISFI Director Brett Scudder, and Reverend Que English. Following these presentations, we held a panel discussion that featured FBI Special Agent Brian Gander, FBI Special Agent Kathia Meade, NYPD Detective John Zerafa, SISFI Director Brett Scudder, DOE Representative Jeremy Kabinoff, and Not on my Watch Director Rev. Que English. The audience included students, parents, and school officials. 

This assembly was a follow-up to a previous event that Senator Bailey's office held last October. In the last event, the FBI identified that one of the main locations with significant human trafficking activity was along White Plains Road leading into the City of Mount Vernon. The targeted population was between ages 11-16. Following this information, Senator Bailey's office collaborated with the Leaders of Tomorrow School in order to inform the youth and members of the community. 

"This is an issue that affects us here in our neighborhood and community. It is important that we work closely with law enforcement to ensure that our community stays informed about the dangers in human trafficking. The rise of social media and technology has become a main tool used by traffickers in order to contact youth. The best way to address this rising issue is by providing the community with smart tips on how to be cautious, especially when using the internet and smartphones," said Senator Jamaal T. Bailey.

"This is an important partnership between the Senator's office and our school. As a school, our first priority is always the safety of our students. We want to ensure that all students in this district are safe and supported. #NotForSale," said a representative from the Leaders of Tomorrow School. 

The event featured the use of the hashtag #NotForSale in order to raise awareness on social media. The hashtag represents that the children in our community are not commodities and we will do whatever we can to protect our children. 

###